On Tuesday, June 17, 2003, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument onboard the Aqua spacecraft captured this true-color image of Tropical Cyclone Soudelor in the Philippine Sea. Soudelor (07W) is centered near 22.0 degrees north and 123.5 degrees east with sustained winds near 105 mph and gusts to 125 mph. The tiny Batan Islands are situated due west of the eye of the storm in this scene. The Philippines are to the southwest (lower left) of the cyclone and Taiwan is to the northwest. Cyclone Soudelor is moving to the north-northeast at 12 mph and this track is expected to continue over the next 24-36 hours so (as of June 17) Soudelor is expected to bypass Taiwan, pass to the west of the Ryukyu Islands, and move through the East China Sea toward the Korea Strait. Rain and thunderstorms will cause locally heavy rainfall from Taiwan through the Ryukyu Islands and into southern Japan.

The high-resolution image available here is 500 meters per pixel. Click for a copy of this image at the sensor’s full-resolution of 250 meters.